BJP not to take it lying downDares Cong on Jalandhar raids, idol smugglingShimla, February 8
The BJP has sought an explanation from Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on the alleged involvement of top Punjab and Himachal Pradesh leaders in the smuggling of idols.

Development
to be the main issue on BJP agenda in Himachal Pradesh.(28k,
56k)

Congress not to make
MLAs’ assets publicShimla, February 8
The Congress today refused to reveal details about the properties of party MLAs in Himachal.
“The Congress will make public details of the properties of party MLAs and leaders only when there is making it legislation mandatory and till then the party favours giving such details to Congress President Sonia Gandhi,” CWC member and in charge of the Congress election committee R. K. Dhawan said here today.

Cong manifesto sans
state leaders’ photosShimla, February 8
The indecision of the Congress on its chief ministerial candidate has resulted in Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee president Vidya Stokes’ photo being dropped at the eleventh hour from the party manifesto to be released soon.

Sukh Ram’s papers acceptedMandi, February 8
The Congress objection to the nomination of HVC leader Sukh Ram, who had been convicted by a special judge, was overruled by the returning officer after prolonged arguments by the advocates of both the parties and his papers were found in order and accepted.

Chauhan to focus on development,
tourismChamba, February 8
“Besides the BJP election manifesto, I will focus on key local issues for my election campaign”, asserted Mr Balkrishan Chauhan, the BJP candidate from the Chamba Assembly constituency, while talking to mediapersons here last evening. These key issues were roads and communication network, tourism industry, health service and education, including the opening of engineering and medical colleges.

The ill-fated private local
bus
which met with an accident in Shimla on Saturday.
— Photo Anil Dayal

Ex-servicemen look for a
forumDharamsala, February 8
More than four lakh Army personel and ex-servicemen in Himachal Pradesh think they need a voice. Ex- servicemen in the state are groping for a political forum to re-focus on their grievances. There are almost three lakh ex-servicemen in the state, in addition to over one lakh serving Army personnel.

“One rank, one pension”
issue settled: KhuranaDharamsala, February 8Lok Sabha MP and Chairman of the standing parliamentary committee on defence , Mr Madan Lal Khurana, said the issue of “one rank, one pension” hanging fire for decades would soon be resolved as the recommendations of his committee had been accepted in principal by the Finance and Defence Ministers.

Factory workers’ strike
continuesBilaspur, January 8
A strike by workers of HP State Forest Corporation controlled resin and turpentine factory at Raghunathpura continued for the eleventh day today.

BJP not to take it lying downDares Cong on Jalandhar raids, idol smugglingTribune News Service

Shimla, February 8
The BJP has sought an explanation from Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on the alleged involvement of top Punjab and Himachal Pradesh leaders in the smuggling of idols.

“Let Capt Amarinder Singh explain whether top Congress leaders of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh were not involved in the smuggling of idols, for which allegations had been levelled against Ms Sonia Gandhi,” BJP General Secretary and spokesman Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said at a press conference here today.

State party spokesman Baldev Sharma presented a letter, written by the Congress Legislative Party leader in the Himachal Assembly, Mr Virbhadra Singh, to the Chief Secretary and the Additional Director-General in April, 1999, expressing opposition to the re-opening of an inquiry into the 1996 theft of a Buddha idol from Kumaroo temple in Kinnaur.

The two BJP leaders did not even specify the persons whom the BJP was suspecting of being involved. They could not reply as to what the Central and state governments, both of the BJP, had done about the old allegations and why vague accusations were being levelled without any documentary support.

Mr Naqvi condemned the reported raids on the business establishments perceived to be of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal in Jalandhar, saying Capt Amarinder Singh was only displaying the anti-democratic culture of the Congress. He said it was an indication of what sort of authoritarian rule the Congress was planning to give in other states that were going to the polls this year.

The BJP spokesman said the Congress had refused to fight the electoral battle in Gujarat on the issues of development and had instead harped on issues like Godhra and communalism and had got a drubbing. He said here also, the Congress was running away from the pre-election debate on development, security and prosperity of the people and would have to face the fate of Gujarat. Mr Naqvi dared the Congress, saying the BJP would pay them back in the same coin, but would not allow the issues of development, security and prosperity to be lost on the basis of baseless allegations levelled against Mr Dhumal.

NURPUR: The Himachal BJP will make ‘Himachal gaurav’ an election issue in the Assembly elections. Mr Kirpal Parmar, the state BJP general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP, on Saturday came down heavily on the Amarinder Government for launching a character assassination campaign against HP Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal. Reacting to the raids conducted by the Amarinder Government on the premises of Mr Dhumal and his relatives at Jalandhar on Friday, Mr Parmar said campaign against Mr Dhumal had hit the self-respect of the people of Himachal Pradesh.

They were protesting against the raids on the business premises and houses of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and his business partners.

Earlier, they gathered at the party office and marched in procession. At the rally, the BJP leaders criticised the Punjab Chief Minister for resorting to repressive measures against BJP leaders.

The district unit of the BJP also held a meeting and denounced the Punjab Government for the raids on the factories and residences of Mr Dhumal and members of his family in Jalandhar on Friday. Those present alleged that the Punjab Chief Minister was adopting repressive measures.

Meanwhile, Mr Dhumal, while addressing election meetings in Bamsan constituency, said the gimmick of the Congress to spread misinformation about him and his family would not work. He clarified that neither he nor his family had committed any sin and they were not afraid of the operations started by the Punjab Government at his Jalandhar residence and business establishments.

Palampur, February 8
Mr Shanta Kumar, Union Minister for Rural Development, today assailed the action of the Punjab Government in conducting raids on the business premises of Himachal Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal at Jalandhar.

Addressing a press conference here this morning Mr Shanta Kumar said that it was being highhanded on the part of Capt Amarinder Singh to go such an extent to settle the political scores with his rivals, that too at the eve of Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh. He said Capt Amarinder Singh should not forget that he was a democratically elected Chief Minister of Punjab and not a dictator. He said it was most unfortunate that he had personalised the recent political developments and had launched a political vendetta against his rivals not only in Punjab but in Himachal also. He said it was really a matter of surprise that the PSEB decided to conduct raids only at the time of Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh, despite the fact the family of Mr Dhumal had been carrying on business in Punjab for the past 60 years.

Shimla, February 8
The Congress today refused to reveal details about the properties of party MLAs in Himachal.

“The Congress will make public details of the properties of party MLAs and leaders only when there is making it legislation mandatory and till then the party favours giving such details to Congress President Sonia Gandhi,” CWC member and in charge of the Congress election committee R. K. Dhawan said here today.

Mr Dhawan said failing to respond to the charges of corruption against Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, the BJP has hurled accusations at Ms Sonia Gandhi being allegedly involved in the smuggling of idols. The elections in Himachal would be a mandate on the policies of the BJP, adding that the latter was adopting double standards. He said rebels would be expelled from the party soon. Doors for Mr Sukh Ram were closed, asserting that the Congress would form a government on its own.

Addressing a press conference, AICC spokesman Anand Sharma sought the details of contracts given to Proxima Steel Forge and the Crescent Corporation during the past 5 years. Mr Sharma said the names of these companies, allegedly belonging to the family of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, had earlier been given wrongly. Mr Sharma alleged that 300 doctors had been employed in the state from other states.

Dismissing the defamation case filed by the Chief Minister against Congress leaders, Mr Sharma said Mr Dhumal would have to clear his position on allegations of corruption. About the raids on business premises allegedly belonging to the Himachal Chief Minister, Mr Sharma said Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had already disapproved of these.

Mr Sharma said the Congress would not allow the BJP to bring the communal and violent experience of Gujarat to Himachal.

The AICC spokesman said the BJP’s claim of development was hollow saying that the party’s contribution to the state was “unemployment, price rise and poverty” and not “development, prosperity and security.”

Shimla, February 8
The indecision of the Congress on its chief ministerial candidate has resulted in Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president Vidya Stokes’ photo being dropped at the eleventh hour from the party manifesto to be released soon.

With the Congress high command deciding to print the photograph of Ms Stokes being opposed by former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, the party has now been left with the option of carrying only All-India Congress Committee President Sonia Gandhi’s photograph on the manifesto, sources told “The Tribune” here today. This is a deviation from the Congress tradition in the country as well as in the state.

With the high command’s initial decision of carrying the photograph being opposed, the central Congress poll managers offered a the option printing pictures of both, they said.

Realising that Mr Virbhadra Singh’s photo will also go on the manifesto, the Stokes group beat a hasty retreat, asking the leadership to withdraw her photograph, apparently to prevent Mr Virbhadra Singh’s projection by the Central leadership.

Shimla, February 8
The nominations of 469 candidates, including HVC supremo Sukh Ram, Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and Congress leader Virbhadra Singh, were found in order on scrutiny today.

However, the nominations of candidates were rejected. One candidate withdrew from contest, the state election office here said. As many as 536 candidates had filed their papers since the nominations began on January 31. The highest number of rejections totalling 13 came from Kangra district followed by 11 in Mandi, eight each in Una and Hamirpur, seven in Bilaspur, five each in Solan and Chamba, four in Shimla, three in Kullu, two in Sirmau and one in Lahaul Spiti.

BILASPUR: The nomination papers of seven candidates were rejected in the district on Saturday. All nominations from Bilaspur (Sadar) constituency were found to be in order. The papers of Mr Daulatram Sharma, BJP covering candidate from Kotkehloor, were rejected. The papers of Mr Shyam Bihari Sharma, BJP covering candidate from Ghumarwin, were rejected.

HAMIRPUR:
Thirty-seven candidates are in the fray from the five Assembly constituencies of Hamirpur district as the nomination papers of eight were rejected at the time of scrutiny on Saturday. The following is the breakdown constituencywise: Mewa 6, Hamirpur 5, Nadaun 11, Nadaunta 11 and Bamsan 4.

DHARAMSALA: Five nomination papers were rejected in Kangra district, leaving 124 candidates in fray for the 16 Vidhan Sabha seats.

The nomination paper of Mr Makholi Ram (Independent) were rejected in Jaswan, leaving seven contestants in the fray. The nomination papers of HVC candidate Satish Kumar were rejected in Nagrota Bagwan, leaving eight contestants in the field. The nomination papers of Mr Bishan Dass (BSP) and Mr Krishen Chand (Independent) were rejected in Rajgir (Reserve), leaving seven contestants in poll fray. The nomination papers of HVC candidate Pramodh Singh were rejected in Gangath (Reserve), where now seven contestants are left.

CHAMBA: The nomination papers of five candidates in the district were rejected on Saturday. They are Mr Brij Lal (BJP) from Bhattiyat, Mr Ashish Chadha (BJP), from Banikhet, Mr Mehboob (HVC) from Banikhet, Ms Uma Mahajan (Congress) from chamba and Mr Chaman Lal (BJP) from Bharmour.

UNA: The nomination papers of 12 candidates were rejected in five constituencies of the district during scrutiny on Saturday. In Gagret, all six nomination papers were found to be in order. In Chintpurni, the papers of Mr Rakesh Kumar, covering candidate of the Congress, and in Santoshgarh, the papers of Mr Sher Singh, covering candidate of the BJP, Mr Jagroop Singh and Mr Kashmiri Lal of the Congress were rejected.

Mr Jagroop Singh, Mr Mahinder Pal and Mr Ram Dass Malangar had filed their papers both as party candidates and as Independents. Their nomination papers as party candidates were rejected whereas their papers as Independents were found to be in order.

Mandi, February 8
The Congress objection to the nomination of HVC leader Sukh Ram, who had been convicted by a special judge, was overruled by the returning officer after prolonged arguments by the advocates of both the parties and his papers were found in order and accepted. All papers from the Sadar constituency were found in order.

Elsewhere in the district only three nomination papers were rejected including those of Samajwadi party candidate Naresh Kumar from Sundernagar, Mr Mahant Ram from Balh, who had filed two sets of nomination paper in the hope of a last-minute change by the AICC and of Indervir, on Independent candidate from Balh. Besides, the nomination papers of eight covering candidates were also rejected.

Chamba, February 8
“Besides the BJP election manifesto, I will focus on key local issues for my election campaign”, asserted Mr Balkrishan Chauhan, the BJP candidate from the Chamba Assembly constituency, while talking to mediapersons here last evening. These key issues were roads and communication network, tourism industry, health service and education, including the opening of engineering and medical colleges.

Mr Chauhan, without blaming any individual or political party, stated that the Chamba region had remained neglected. He claimed that his only ambition was to serve his native area, for which he needed some platform.

Mr Chauhan said the pace of development in Chamba was very slow, which was due to political reasons. He said the backwardness and penury in this area could be attributed to the lack of political will. He alleged that the rural population had been neglected. Mr Chauhan said Chamba, having scenic spots, was rich in tourism potential, which needed to be explored and exploited. He said tourism could be the biggest industry if given attention with political will. Tourism infrastructure needed to be developed and promoted, giving a fillip to the tourism industry in the region, he said emphasising that the tourism industry alone could provide jobs to the unemployed in the area.

Replying to a question, he said for boosting the tourism industry, there was need of strengthening the road network and for this, global funds could be arranged. He said tourism was the only source of ending unemployment in this region.

Dist status for Nurpur promised
NURPUR:
HPDC Chief Rakesh Pathania, who has been the BJP candidate from Nurpur, said the Dhumal government had fulfilled the long standing demand of the area by opening a government degree college in Nurpur town but congress candidate Sat Mahajan had been playing politics on it. Nurpur would get district status if the BJP was voted to power and clarified that the exercise to create new districts had been suspended due to the delimitation process. and a petition filed by former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh before the EC pleading against carving out new districts before the Assembly poll in the
state. OC

Poll arrangements reviewed
MANDI:
A panel of three observers — Mr S.K. Joshi, Mr Gaurav Gupta and Mr R.K. Verma — for 10 constituencies. of Mandi district on Saturday reviewed poll arrangements. The district administration was directed not to deploy newly recruited Home Guards on election duty.
OC

Dharamsala, February 8
More than four lakh Army personel and ex-servicemen in Himachal Pradesh think they need a voice. Ex- servicemen in the state are groping for a political forum to re-focus on their grievances. There are almost three lakh ex-servicemen in the state, in addition to over one lakh serving Army personnel.

“Some of the ex-servicemen who have made it big in political life have forgotten about the problems of their brethren once they assume the seat of power”, laments Sub Atma Ram (retd) of Baijnath. “The BJP had promised in the last elections to provide 15 per cent reservation for ex-servicemen in government jobs but they never fulfilled the commitment”, says Sub-Major Rakesh Kumar of Kangra.

A cross-section of ex-servicemen seems to be veering to the view that they need to be united in the state to at least form a strong pressure group irrespective of political affiliations for their voice to be heard.

Lt-Gen R.S. Dayal (retd) is thinking a step ahead — he wants political power to be in the hands of ex-servicemen. With that goal in mind, the General merged his Ekta Manch for ex-servicemen with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

The common ex-serviceman has grown rather sceptical of politicians even though some of them have been former army men. “Ex-servicemen after election as MPs or MLAs get embroiled in party politics. Watching the interest of ex-servicemen is no longer a priority for them”, says Hav Ram Singh (retd) from Jawalamukhi.

However, former Congress minister, Maj Vijai Singh Mankotia, who is president of the Himachal chapter of the Indian Ex-Services League, tends to disagree with this sentiment. “It was the Congress government which gave a one-time pension increase to ex-servicemen. During my tenure as minister, we had set up a monitoring cell to oversee the implementation of welfare schemes concerning ex-servicemen”, he explains. The biggest issue confronting ex-servicemen is the long-pending issue of “one rank, one pension” which has not been taken up seriously by either the BJP or the Congress.

With elections round the corner, the BJP has now announced the constitution of a central committee to consider the demand for one rank, one pension. Senior BJP leader Madan Lal Khurana made the announcement here today ostensibly catering to the huge population of ex-servicemen in Kangra district. There are almost 70,000 ex-servicemen in the biggest district of the state. The districts of Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi and Una constitute almost 70 per cent of the total population of ex-servicemen in the state.

Even the Congress has done its bit to woo ex-servicemen in the elections by announcing to set up an ex-servicemen cell in the Chief Minister’s Office and promising jobs to them in government undertakings. Both major parties are once again wooing ex-servicemen who along with the serving personnel constitute more than 10 per cent of the total electorate.

Dharamsala, February 8
Lok Sabha MP and Chairman of the standing parliamentary committee on defence , Mr Madan Lal Khurana, said the issue of “one rank, one pension” hanging fire for decades would soon be resolved as the recommendations of his committee had been accepted in principal by the Finance and Defence Ministers.

Addressing mediapersons here today, Mr Madan Lal Khurana, who is also the BJP incharge for Kangra, said he had been raising this issue since he took over as Chairman of the committee and now he was confidant that the matter would be resolved and defence pensioners who retired prior to 1996 and those who retired after that would get the same pension.

Mr Khurana said the issue of free medical aid to the families of ex-servicemen had also been resolved. He said 127 military hospitals would provide free medical aid free of cost to ex-servicemen which falling in their areas of jurisdiction. He claimed the Finance Ministry had issued orders to the departments
concerned to implement the decision.

The sky remained overcast and thick fog engulfed the region, reducing the visibility considerably in the evening. The higher reaches in tribal areas had another spell of fresh snow and the valleys of Lahaul and Spiti reeled under biting cold wave conditions with minimum temperature staying between minus 15 and minus 25 degrees Celsius.

All natural lakes and ponds, including the Suraj Tal (16,000 ft) and the Chandra Tal (15,000 ft) as also the 70-km stretch of Chandra Bhaga river was frozen, reducing the discharge of water in snowfed Beas, Sutlej and Ravi.

The fall in water level of major reservoirs badly affected power generation, creating power shortage in the
northern region. PTI

Bilaspur, January 8
A strike by workers of HP State Forest Corporation controlled resin and turpentine factory at Raghunathpura continued for the eleventh day today.

Factory workers union president Shayamlal and general secretary Sunder Ram claimed that the work in he factory was crippled and the factory was incurring losses worth lakhs everyday and the management was not taking the demands of the union seriously.

They warned that they would intensify the agitation if the present attitude of the management continued.

The workers are demanding the implementation of the orders of labour courts regarding the regularisation of services of workers and provision of all facilities and holidays to them, admissible under rules of the Factory Act.

Meanwhile, several panchayat leaders of area, including Mr Baldevsingh Chauhan, Mr Roshanlal Dhiman, Mr Ravindersingh Thakur and Mr Daulatram have extended their support to the workers’ union and have urged the Managing Director of the corporation to accept their genuine demands.